Incinerator

ABSTRACT

An incinerator whose top has a tangential inlet for combustion air and a central exhaust opening. A baffle plate is supported below the exhaust opening to divert upwardly moving particles to the perimeter of the top, thereby increasing their residence time and hence the completeness of their combustion. A blower is mounted on the outside wall of the plenum chamber adjacent the combustion chamber. The blower drives air through the plenum chamber to the inlet.

United States Patent [191 Trott [111 3,791,319- Feb. 12, 1974 1 INCINERATOR [75] Inventor: David H. Tr0tt, Cincinnati, Ohio [73] Assignee: Burns Investment Corp., Cincinnati,

Ohio

[22] Filed: May 25, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 256,825

[52] US. Cl. 110/18 R, 110/19 [51] F23g 5/00 [58] Field of Search 110/8 R, 18 R, 19,119

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1965 Rumpel 110/119 11/1972 Pasichnyk 2/1962 Montgomery 110/18 3/1970 Trott 110/18 5/1971 Withers 110/18 Primary Examiner-Kenneth W. Sprague Attorney, Agent, or FirmWood, Herron & Evans [57] ABSTRACT 6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures INCINERATOR This invention relates to an incinerator which is particularlyuseful for burning of trash, leaves and the like, although it will be understood that the principles of the invention are applicable to other types of incinerators wherein the reduction of pollutants is a problem. The present invention is an improvement in my US. Pat. No. 3,498,240.

The device disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,498,240

includes a lid or cover which is removably mounted on a trash container such as a gallon trash can or a 55 gallon drum. The lid has an opening for directing air tangentially into thetop of the container upon which it is mounted, and it has a central exhaust opening through which the combustion gases escape from the incinerator. The principle of the invention, which has proved quite successful, has been to create, at the upper portion of the incinerator, a centrifugal swirl of combusting gases which burn the combustibles from the top down and in so doing tend to retain the combustibles for a long period of time whereby to effect their substantially complete burning. While, as indicated, the structure of my patent has been successful, a continuing effort has been made in order to reduce the quantity of pollutants escaping from the exhaust opening in the lid of the incinerator. One approach has been to cover the opening with a screen so as to require the particles to pass through the screen in order to escape from the incinerator. That construction has produced a solids emission 60 percent less than that from a typical open fire.

An objective of the present invention has been to provide for the further reduction in the emission of solids by providing a retardation chamber at the top of the lid and of substantially smaller diameter than the lid rim and bringing air into the top of the retardation chamber. The smaller diameter tends to retain the high velocity of the incoming air before it expands into the larger container. ln flowing downwardly through the retardation chamber, it captures and retains for a longer period the upwardly flowing particles.

Another objective of the present invention has been to provide for the still further reduction in emission of solids by providing a baffle plate supported below the exhaust opening of the lid. While the precise contribution of the baffle plate to the reduction in the emission of solids is not fully understood, it appears that it blocks the flow of gases and entrained solids upwardly from the center of the combusting material, causing the gases to be diverted to the perimeter of the incinerator lid. in the perimeter of the incinerator lid, the gases and entrained particles are caught into the tangential flow of gases whereby the centrifugal force on the particles tends to retain them in the perimeter of the lid until they are significantly more completely burned. Thus, the net effect of the baffle has been to increase the residence time of the particles in the incinerator, thereby considerably increasing the extent to which they are combusted. Test results on the improved structure indicate that the particulate emission is below 0.075 grains per standard cubic foot of dry gas.

A further objective of the invention has been to provide a support for the baffle constituted by a plurality of posts depending from the top of the lid and secured to the edge of the baffle'. The plurality of posts, six, for example, provide surfaces upon which blackbirds, that is, large pieces of only partially burnt material, im-

pinge and break up into fine particles which are more completely combusted before escaping through the central opening.

Another objective of the invention has been to provide a convenient mount for the blower which provides the combusting air for the incinerator. Heretofore, since the incinerator has been formed, in part, of a standard component, namely, the known trash container or 55 gallon drum, the blower has been provided as a separate component which sits on the ground and which is connected to the lid by means of a flexible conduit. In accordance with the present invention, the blower is mounted on a plenum chamber, the plenum chamber in mm being mounted adjacent to the trash container. Several advantages arise out of this structure. The plenum chamber keeps the blower motor cool, that is, at no more than approximately F. The plenum chamber being mounted adjacent the incinerator provides a pre-heat to the air before it is introduced into the incinerator, thereby increasing its efficiency. Further, the structure provides a convenient mount for the blower and permits the total assembly of incinerator, plenum chamber and blower to be supported on a cart for convenient mobility.

The several features and objectives of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the incinerator of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view through the center of the removable lid.

The incinerator indicated at 10 includes a cylindrical container 11 which may be a 55 gallon drum as indicated or any other suitable container for the combusting gases. The container has an open, upper end indicated at 12 onto which a cover, or lid, 13 is mounted. The lid has a tangentially directed inlet opening 14 immediately adjacent its top 15. The top 15 has a central exhaust opening 16.

The inlet opening is connectd to a supply of air through a flexible conduit 18 which is connected at its inlet end 19 to a plenum chamber 20. A motor blower 21, of the type used on household vacuum cleaners, is mounted in a housing 22 to drive air directly into the plenum chamber. The whole assembly is mounted on a two-wheeled cart 23.

The lid 13 has three generally cylindrical tiers, namely, a lowermost tier 30, a middle tier 31, and an upper tier 32 which forms the retardation chamber. The lower tier 30 is of the largest diameter and has a depending flange 34 adapted to fit snugly about the open end 12 of the container 11, thereby providing the means for removably mounting the lid 13 on the container 11.

The second, or middle, tier 31 is formed integrally with the first tier and provides an annular ring 35 terminated at its upper edge by an inwardly directed flange 36. The inwardly directed flange defines a central opening 37.

The upper tier is supported on the flange 36 of the middle tier and is about twice as high as either of the other two tiers. The third tier includes a cylindrical wall 40 which supports the top 15 of the lid 13.

A circular baffle plate 41 is supported on six equally spaced posts 42 which are secured at their upper ends to the top 15 adjacent the opening 16 and which are secured at their lower ends to the baffle plate 41. The posts provide a plurality of surfaces for the impingement and disintegration of larger particles.

By way of example, and without imposing a limitation on the principles of the invention, the dimensions are approximately as follows: the diameter of the opening 16 is approximately 4 inches, the diameter of the plate 41 is approximately 7 inches, the diameter of the opening 37 is approximately 10 inches, the diameter of the top and upper tier is 12 inches, the diameter of the middle tier is 19 inches, and the diameter of the lower tier is 24 inches. The combined height of the lower and middle tiers is 5 inches and the height of the upper tier is 6 inches. The baffle plate is located 3 inches below the top 15. These dimensions will, of course, vary with variations in the diameter of the container on which the lid is mounted.

The tangential inlet for forced air is located as high as possible in the upper tier 32, thereby creating the strongest blast of circulating air adjacent to the opening 16 so as to pick up particles passing around the baffle plate 41 and retain them as long as possible by the centrifugal force of their movement around the perimeter of the upper tier.

The whole assembly is, in the preferred embodiment, mounted on a wheeled cart having a generally horizontal support 45 on which the drum 11 is mounted and a generally vertical handle 46 to which the plenum chamber and blower 21 are mounted. The plenum chamber is secured to the handle 46 by straps 47 so that it is immediately adjacent the drum 11 with the blower being located on the side of the plenum chamber remote from the drum 11. With this orientation, the plenum chamber protects the blower motor, maintaining its temperature below 180F. While so doing, it provides the added benefit of preheating the air flowing through the plenum chamber to the lid 13 so as to increase its efficiency in the combustion function.

In the operation of the invention, the lid is removed and the container 11 is filled with combustibles. The topmost combustibles are ignited and the lid is replaced. The blower motor is energized to cause air to circulate in the lid 13 and down upon the combustibles. Very rapidly, a roaring fire is created whose temperature may be 1,500F. or higher. The top-down burning creates a long retention time for all of the particles, thereby assuring substantially complete combustion. Those particles, however, which do rise through the center of the swirl of gases, will be temporarily blocked by the baffle plate 41 and caused to divert to the perimeter of the upper tier 40 where they are entrained in the high velocity incoming air for more complete combustion.

1 claim:

1. In an incinerator having a container for burning combustibles,

a cover of circular cross section mounted on said container, said cover having a top,

an exhaust opening in the top of said cover,

a baffle plate supported below said opening and 4 spaced therefrom,

and a circular collar disposed below said baffle plate and projecting radially inwardly from said cover, said collar having a central opening therein.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which the opening in said collar is larger than the diameter of said baffle plate.

3. In an incinerator having a container for burning combustibles,

a cover of circular cross section mounted on said container,

said cover having a lower portion of large diameter and an upper portion of smaller diameter secured to said lower portion, said upper portion having a flat top,

an exhaust opening in said top,

a baffle plate supportedfrom said top below said opening and spaced therefrom and at a position above said lower portion,

said lower portion including a flange projecting into said cover below said plate, said flange having an opening larger than the diameter of said plate,

and means for blowing air tangentially into' said upper portion above said plate.

4. Incinerator apparatus comprising a container,

a cover removably mounted on the upper end of said container,

a plenum chamber mounted adjacent said container,

a blower mounted on said plenum chamber and spaced from said container, said blower driving air into said chamber,

a conduit from said chamber to said cover for the passage of air into the upper end of said container,

and an exhaust opening in said cover.

5. Apparatus as in claim 4 further comprising a wheeled cart, said container being mounted on said cart, said plenum chamber being mounted on said cart adjacent said container.

6. Incinerator apparatus for use with a container for combustion comprising,

a three tiered cover of generally circular crosssection,

the lowermost tier being of the largest diameter and having a depending flange adapted to receive the upper end of said container to mount said cover on said container,

the middle tier being of smaller diameter than said lowermost tier and extending upwardly from said lowermost tier, said middle tier having an inwardly projecting flange defining a central opening in said cover,

the uppermost tier being of smaller diameter than said middle tier, but of larger diameter than the opening in said flange,

said uppermost tier having a top and a central exhaust opening'in said top,

a baffle plate supported below the exhaust opening in said top. 

1. In an incinerator having a container for burning combustibles, a cover of circular cross section mounted on said container, said cover having a top, an exhaust opening in the top of said cover, a baffle plate supported below said opening and spaced therefrom, and a circular collar disposed below said baffle plate and projecting radially inwardly from said cover, said collar having a central opening therein.
 2. Apparatus as in claim 1 in which the opening in said collar is larger than the diameter of said baffle plate.
 3. In an incinerator having a container for burning combustibles, a cover of circular cross section mounted on said container, said cover having a lower portion of large diameter and an upper portion of smaller diameter secured to said lower portion, said upper portion having a flat top, an exhaust opening in said top, a baffle plate supported from said top below said opening and spaced therefrom and at a position above said lower portion, said lower portion including a flange projecting into said cover below said plate, said flange having an opening larger than the diameter of said plate, and means for blowing air tangentially into said upper portion above said plate.
 4. Incinerator apparatus compriSing a container, a cover removably mounted on the upper end of said container, a plenum chamber mounted adjacent said container, a blower mounted on said plenum chamber and spaced from said container, said blower driving air into said chamber, a conduit from said chamber to said cover for the passage of air into the upper end of said container, and an exhaust opening in said cover.
 5. Apparatus as in claim 4 further comprising a wheeled cart, said container being mounted on said cart, said plenum chamber being mounted on said cart adjacent said container.
 6. Incinerator apparatus for use with a container for combustion comprising, a three tiered cover of generally circular cross-section, the lowermost tier being of the largest diameter and having a depending flange adapted to receive the upper end of said container to mount said cover on said container, the middle tier being of smaller diameter than said lowermost tier and extending upwardly from said lowermost tier, said middle tier having an inwardly projecting flange defining a central opening in said cover, the uppermost tier being of smaller diameter than said middle tier, but of larger diameter than the opening in said flange, said uppermost tier having a top and a central exhaust opening in said top, a baffle plate supported below the exhaust opening in said top. 